Folding ironing board



Oct 10, 1939. w. A. SNYDER FOLDING IRONING BOARD Filed Feb. 7, 1938 Z21/ a o o Dd 7 UIUIUIUJUI 12f no no Patented Oct. 10, 1939 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to a folding ironing board and has for itsprincipal objects, to generally improve upon and simplify theconstruction of the existing forms of folding ironing boards and, toprovide a structure that includes a pair of ironing board members hingedto each other and one of said members capable of being swung downwardwith respect to the other member, so as to lower one end of the completeironing board in order to enable persons of short stature to moreconveniently use the ironing board.

Other objects of my invention are to provide an ironing board, that isrelatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture and thebracing of the ironing board being such as to provide a very strong,substantial and rigid support that will withstand the strains andstresses developed during ironing operations, and said ironing boardhaving a folding extension that isv adapted to provide a support for thework after the same has been ironed on the main portion of the ironingboard.

With the foregoing and other objects in view my invention consists incertain novel features of construction and arrangements of parts thatwill be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated inthe accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the structure that is utilized as afolding ironing board.

Fig.2 is a view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and looking against theunder side of the ironing board.

Fig, 3 is an enlarged detail section of a portion of a rack that ispositioned on the under side of the ironing board, and which serves asan adjustable bearing for the upper portion of one of the braces of theironing board.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view looking in the direction indicated by thearrow 4 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detail section taken on the line 55 of Fig 1.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing, ll] designates anironing board preferably formed from a single piece of wood, one end ofwhich is tapered and rounded as designated by H, thus giving the boardit) the shape of an conventional ironing board, and suitably secured tothe under face of the board adjacent the end opposite the tapered androunded end is a transverse cleat I 2.

A board 13 that is equal in width to and considerably shorter than theboard [0, functions as a support or table to receive the work after thesame has been done on the table Ill, and arranged on the under side ofthe inner end of this table member I3 is a transversely disposed cleat[4 similar to cleat l2.

Arranged on the under sides of the cleats I2 and I4 adjacent their endsare hinges l5 which enables the outer ends of the boards Hi and I3 to beswung downwardly toward each other.

Connected by hinges 16 to the ends of the cleat I2 are the upper ends ofa pair of ironing board supporting legs [1 which, while in service,occupy an inclined position beneath the board I i! as illustrated inFig. 1.

The intermediate portions of these legs I! are stayed and reinforced bycrossed braces l8, preferably metal straps or rods. Suitably secured tothe under face of board 10 a short distance inwardly from its roundedend II is a transversely disposed cleat l9, and secured to the underface 20 thereof is one end of a rod 20, the opposite end thereof beingsecured to the under side of the central portion of cleat I2. Thus rod20 occupies a position parallel with and spaced a short distance belowthe under side of board I0.

Suitably secured to the under side of board 10 between the cleats l2 andI9 is a plate 2! preferably of sheet metal, and stamped therefrom aredownwardly projecting lips 22 that function as stops and bearings forthe horizontally dlsposed upper portion of an inverted U-shaped brace23, the lower ends of the vertical legs of which are pivotally mountedon the lower portions of the legs 11.

When the ironing board is in use, the transverse upper portion of thebrace 23 bears against the inner edge of the cleat I9, thus holding theironing board I0 level; and when the upper end of the brace is swunginwardly against the legs [1, the latter may be swung upwardly againstthe under side of the ironing board.

In order to lower the outer end of the ironing board several inches inorder to permit the ironing operations to be conveniently accomplishedby persons of short stature, the upper end 5 of brace 23 may be swunginwardly toward the upper ends of legs I! and engaged against one of thetransverse lips 22 that project downwardly from plate 2|. As a result ofthis arrangement, the outer end of the ironing board may be lowered aconsiderable distance, as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, andsaid board is firmly retained in such lowered position by the engagementof the upper end of brace 23 against one of the lips 22.

Connected by hinges 23 to the under side of the ends of cleat l4 are theupper ends of legs 24 which, when the ironing board is in use, occupyinclined positions beneath the board I3, as illustrated by dotted linesin Fig. 1. These legs are stayed and reinforced by crossed braces 25,preferably straps or rods of metal.

Pivotally connected to the lower portions of legs 24 are the lower endsof the vertical legs of an inverted U-shaped brace member 26, andpivotally connected by means of rivets 21 or the like to the upperportions of the vertical legs of said member 25 are the lower curvedends of brace members 28. The upper ends of members 28 are pivotallyconnected to brackets 29 that are secured to the under side of a cleat30, and the latter being suitably secured on the under side of board l3a short distance inwardly from its outer end.

The braces 26 and 28 just described provide means for firmly maintainingthe board l3 in horizontal position and in alignment with the ironingboard If] while the same is in use, and thus the board l3 provides aconvenient table and support for the work that has been ironed.

Inasmuch as the pivot points 21 between the lower ends of base membersand upper portion of brace member 26 are located below the transverseupper member of the brace 26, the pivot points 21 move slightly pastcenter when the braces are shifted into open or bracing po- Jition, andthus the table I3 is firmly supported while in service.

If desired, brace members such as 26 and 28 may be used between thelower portions of the legs I! and the ironing board In, and likewise thesingle brace member 23 may be used in the place of the brace members 26and 28 between the legs 24 and board I3.

The outer ends of folding braces 3| are pivotally connected to the upperportions of legs 11, and the inner ends of said braces are pivotallyconnected at 32 to the inner ends of similar folding braces 33, theouter ends of which are pivotally connected to the upper portions oflegs 24. These braces, when open, maintain the legs I! and 24 in properposition to support the ironing board and table member [3 in ahorizontal position, and when the pivotally connected ends of saidbraces are swung upward, the legs I! and 24 are permitted to swing orfold toward each other.

Formed on the ends of brace members 3| beyond the pivot points 32 arehooks 34 that engage over the upper edges of brace members 33, thuspreventing the pivotally connected ends of said brace members frompassing downwardly below center.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a folding ironing board thatis relatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture andvery efiective in performing the functions for which it is intended.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form andconstruction of the various parts of my improved folding ironing board,may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is setforth in the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

An ironing board formed in two parts arranged so that their inner endsabut each other, one of which parts is approximately twice the length ofthe other part, cleats secured to the under faces of the two parts ofthe ironing board adjacent their abutting ends, hinges connecting saidcleats, a pair of legs arranged beneath the longer part of the board,hinges connecting the upper ends of said legs to the cleat that isapplied to the inner end of the longer part of the board, a brace hingedto the lower portions of said legs, a ratchet plate applied to theintermediate portion of the under side of the longer part of the ironingboard for receiving and holding the brace in differently adjustedpositions and thereby support the longer member of the ironing board indifferent inclined positions, means applied to the under side of thelonger part of the ironing board for limiting the swinging movement ofsaid brace in both directions and means including folding leg and bracesfor supporting the shorter part of the board.

WILLIAM A. SNYDER.

